One of the largest museums in the world. It occupies six magnificent buildings of St.Petersburg, including the Winter palace - the residence of Russian tsars. The buildings of the museum themselves are architectural masterpieces. Its collections number more than 3 million items from ancient to our time. In 400 new rooms examples of primitive art, art of Egypt, gold of Scythians, vast collections of west-european art and much more is presented.
The leading role in this unique architectural ensemble is played by the Winter Palace, the residence of the Russian tsars that was built to the design of Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli in 1754-62. This ensemble, formed in the 18th and 19th centuries, is extended by the eastern wing of the General Staff building, the Menshikov Palace and the recently constructed Repository.
Put together throughout two centuries and a half, the Hermitage collections of works of art (over 3,000,000 items) present the development of the world culture and art from the Stone Age to the 20th century. Today the Museum is creating its digital self-portrait to be displayed around the world. Computer technologies enable the State Hermitage Museum to provide people from all over the world with wider access to information about the Museum and its treasures… More.

The Russian Museum today is a unique depository of artistic treasures, a leading restoration center, an authoritative institute of academic research, a major educational center and the nucleus of a network of national museums of art.
The Russian Museum collection contains circa 400.000 exhibits. The main complex of museum buildings - the Mikhailovsky Palace and Benois Wing - houses the permanent exhibition of the Russian Museum, tracing the entire history of Russian art from the tenth to the twentieth centuries. The museum collection embraces all forms, genres, schools and movements of art.
The Russian Museum holds many exhibitions both in Russia and abroad. The Museum holds more than 50 temporary exhibitions and organizes more than 10 in other cities and abroad annually. Catalogues, albums and booklets made by museum researchers accompany many exhibitions.
Over the past twenty years, the museum complex has grown to include the Stroganov Palace, St Michael's (Engineers) Castle and the Marble Palace. The complex also includes the Mikhailovsky Gardens, Engineering Gardens, Summer Garden (including the Summer Palace) and the House of Peter the Great… More.

Located on the banks of the Neva in the center of St.Petersburg, the Kunstkammer has been the symbol of the Russian Academy of Sciences since the early 18th century. Founded to Peter the Great’s Decree, the Museum opened to the public in 1714. Its purpose was to collect and examine natural and human curiosities and rarities. Today, collections of Peter the Great’s Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography (Kunstkammer) are among the most complete and interesting in the world. These collections contain over one million artifacts and reflect the diversity of traditional cultures in the Old and New World. The Museum has always been one of the world’s largest centers where human cultural heritage is studied, continuing the traditions of the great Russian cultural and physical anthropologists of the 18 - 20th centuries. We are pleased to welcome you to the pages of our museum where we hope you will find interesting and useful information about the peoples and cultures of the world… More.

The Hermitage’s branch. In the exposition of the museum materials of Russian culture of the first quarter of the 18th century are presented. In the museum concerts of chamber music take place.
The palace of Prince Alexander Menshikov, first governor - general of St Petersburg, was founded on Vasilevsky Island in 1710. It is one of the oldest surviving buildings in the city, and once combined both residential and administrative functions… More.

On a quiet stretch of the Moika River stands a long yellow building, which was once the residence of the wealthy and respected Yusupov family and which saw one of the most dramatic episodes in Russia's history - the murder of Grigory Rasputin. In 1916 a group of the city's noble elite, including one of the Grand Dukes and led by the prominent anglophile Prince Felix Yusupov, conspired to kill the one man who they felt threatened the stability of an already war-torn Russian Empire.
Grigory Rasputin, a peasant and self-proclaimed holy man, had gradually won favor with the Tsar's family through his alleged supernatural powers. His control over the decisions of the family and the Russian ruler himself, put him in a potentially manipulative position and posed a very real threat to their power. Consequently, Rasputin was murdered at the Yusupov Palace on the night of December 16-17 1916, and his death proved to be an almost greater mystery than his life had been… More.

Emperor Peter the Great's private palace was built by between 1710 and 1712 by St. Petersburg's most celebrated architect, Domenico Trezzini. The small palace, built in the delightful Summer Garden, contains just 14 rooms and was the summer residence of Peter the Great and his family from 1712 until the Emperor's death in 1725.
The two-story yellow palace is very modest in appearance for a royal residence. Its facade is simple and features only a few depictions of mythological subjects in relief. Unlike the old palaces of 17th century Muscovy, this palace has a high roof and large windows, which let plenty of natural light into the interior. During its construction, its design was referred to as "Dutch"…  More.

(Yelaginoostrovsky Palace-Museum)
This classical gray-and-white mansion stands in the lovely park, which covers the whole of St. Petersburg's small Yelagin Island. Once the property of the prominent nobleman, Ivan Yelagin, the palace was bought by the Imperial family and rebuilt between 1818 and 1822 by the famous Italian architect for Empress Maria Fedorovna, the mother of Emperor Alexander I. The palace remained a royal residence until 1917… More.

The Marble Palace, tucked away between the vast Field of Mars (Marsovo Pole) and the mighty Neva River, boasts some formidable architecture and an interesting history. Thirty-two different types of marble were used to decorate the building's facades and interiors, hence its name. In the last few years the palace has seen a major transformation and has become part of the Russian Museum and home to its excellent collection of Modern and Pop Art. At about the same time the Bolshevik armored car that had stood in the palace's courtyard for years, was replaced with a sturdy equestrian statue of Emperor Alexander III.
The palace features several very diverse collections… More.

The Mikhailovsky Castle - now a branch of the Russian Museum - is one of the most mysterious buildings in St. Petersburg. The history of the castle, built between 1797 and1800 for Russia's most enigmatic monarch, Emperor Paul I, is full of unusual and dramatic events. In the early 1990s the castle became a branch of the Russian Museum and now houses its Portrait Gallery, featuring official portraits of the Russian Emperors and Empresses and various dignitaries and celebrities from the late 17th to the early 20th century. The castle also houses an array of semi-permanent and temporary exhibitions - see current exhibition listings… More.

Peter the Great founded the city of St. Petersburg in 1703 and the very first building to be constructed was the Peter and Paul Fortress. Today the fortress is one of St. Petersburg's major tourist attractions and has become the emblem of the city. It is also home to the headquarters of the St. Petersburg City History Museum, which displays collections throughout the fortress complex.
Emperor Pavel I wanted the castle to be a fortress, a reliable protection from enemies and troubles. However he was killed here on the night of the 17th of March, 1801. From 1817 the Military engineering school has been situated here, and it was called "inzhenerny". Here future writer F.M.Dostoevsky studied. In the museum there are permanent exhibitions "Portrait gallery of Russian historical figures of the 18th-19th centuries" and "Exposition of sculptural portraits of the 18th century"… More.

During the last years of Peter I’s reign there were four cathedrals in St. Petersburg: Sts. Peter and Paul Cathedral, the Holy Trinity Cathedral, Cathedral of Assumption of Our Lady and Cathedral of St. Isaac of Dalmatia. Both the first, and the subsequent cathedrals consecrated in the name of St. Isaac were tied closely to the lives of Russian emperors and Russian statehood.
The wedding of Peter Alekseevich and Ekaterina Alekseevna (the future empress Ekaterina I) on February, 19, 1712 took place in the first church of St. Isaac. In 1723 the Czar signed a special decree ordering servicemen of the The Admiralty and seamen of the Baltic fleet to take their oath only in that cathedral.
There is no reliable information available about the services in the second cathedral of St. Isaac. It is only known that in August, 6, 1717 Peter Alekseevich himself broke ground at the construction site of the new church in the presence of high spiritual and state dignitaries.
The third St. Isaac’s cathedral was laid on August, 8, 1768 in accordance with the project by Antonio Rinaldi. The money for construction was already allocated, but the construction under management of Rinaldi and architect A. Vista went very slowly. Architect Vincenzo Brenna finished the delayed construction, and on May, 30, 1802 Metropolitan Amvrosy in the presence of Emperor Alexander I consecrated the cathedral which thus was transferred from the Imperial Court to the Eparchial Department. Sculptural artwork of this cathedral was done by K. Albani, P.P. Sokolov and I. Shvarts, molding by Bernasconi, icons – by Gualtegri and A.I. Ivanov, and the decor – by F.D. Danilov. Later memorable divine liturgies were held here in honor of St. Petersburg Centennial, and to celebrate universal peace in Europe on July, 10, 1814. … More.

This marvelous Russian-style church was built on the spot where Emperor Alexander II was assassinated on March 1 1881. Constructed between 1883 and 1907, the church was designed in the spirit of sixteenth- and seventeenth century Russian architecture, inspired particularly by St Basil's Cathedral on Red Square in Moscow.
The interior of the church, a memorial to the late Emperor Alexander II, was decorated with different shades of marble and several thousand square yards of mosaic.
After the October Revolution of 1917 the church met the sad fate the vast majority of the country's churches and was closed for services in the late 1920s. It served briefly as the venue for an exhibition of revolutionary propaganda and gradually fell into decay. It was suggested many times that the church be torn down, for being an "inappropriate" symbol of Christianity in the midst of a newly and largely atheistic country. It is a miracle that the church survived this period. In 1970 Our Savior was brought under the management of St Isaac's Cathedral, who instituted a program of restoration that lasted an incredible 25 years.
Today, the church's onion domes have been newly gilded and its interiors painstakingly restored to their former glory and the church is open to the public… More.

The ensemble of Smolny Cathedral of Resurrection for All Educational Establishments produces an unforgettable impression even though it had not been completed fully, and the grandiose 140 m belfry (18 m higher than that of Sts. Peter and Paul Cathedral) had never been built.
The cathedral amazes you as you approach because of its strange and mystical ability to decrease in size as you draw nearer, while still remaining as majestic.
Even those professional architects who did not feel any piety towards the baroque style gave Rastrelli credit for this work with its perfect proportions and exquisite decor.
Some said that when architect Giacomo Quarenghi who favored a very different approach to architecture and who had shown resolute and frank hostility towards Rastrelli, would stop in front of the main entrance to Smolny Cathedral, turn to face the building, take off his hat and exclaim: “Ecco una chiesa!” (“That’s one church!”)… More.

This literary museum, dedicated to Russia's most celebrated poet, stands just a few yards away from Palace Square and two blocks from Nevsky Prospekt on the quiet embankment of the Moika River. The museum is housed in Alexander Pushkin's memorial apartment where he lived between 1836 and 1837, and died after being mortally wounded in a dramatic duel… More.

This impressive monument is the focal point of Ploschad Pobedy (Victory Square) and is hard to miss on the main road from St. Petersburg's international airport.
The monument, built in the shape of a huge broken ring represents all the efforts it took to break the 900-day Siege of Leningrad… More.

The Cruiser Aurora, moored at Petrovskaya Embankment, in front of the Naval School named after Admiral Pavel Nakhimov, is not only a monument to Russian shipbuilding, but also a symbol of the Soviet epoch. The cruiser was named in honor of the frigate Aurora, the one that heroically defended Petropavlovsk-Kamchatski city during the Crimean War of 1853-1856. The Cruiser Aurora was constructed in the New Admiralty shipyard in 1897. On May 11, 1900 the cruiser was launched, and in 1903 it joined Russian Navy. The cruiser underwent the baptism of fire during the Tsushima battle of the Russian-Japanese war. During World War I the Aurora participated in the military actions on the Baltic Sea. And at the end of 1916 she was put in docks for repairs.
   The Aurora played an important part in Russian history. The crew of the cruiser supported the Bolsheviks' party, and on 24-25 October (6-7 November, new style) the Aurora took part in the armed rising that led to great political changes in Russia. At 21.40 Moscow time the gun of the cruiser Aurora gave the blank shot. It was the signal to start the assault of the Winter Palace. As a result of the historical assault, the Provisional Government was arrested, and the Bolsheviks' party got the power. It was the beginning of the new era in Russian history… More.

The monument of the garden and park art of the beginning of the 18th century. Its square is 11.7 hectares. It was laid in 1704 by the order and plan of Peter I attached to his summer residence (planning and garden constructions - architects I.M.Matveyev, Zh.B.Leblon, M.G.Zemtsov, V.V.Rastrelli, garden masters - Ya.Rozen, I.Surmin); it was laid in the regular style in 1704-30 (with a strict geoetrical planing of alleys); it was decorated with numerous sculpture groups, statues, busts (mainly by Italian masters of the end of the 17th - the beginning of the 18th century; out of 250 sculptures only 89 have remained), fountains (for their feeding Peter I ordered the first steam-engine in Russia, built by French engineer Dezagyulye in 1717-18, and Ligovsky canal was dug; in the flood of 1777 the fountains were destroyed and have never been restored). In the Summer Garden the Summer palace of Peter, the Coffee house (rebuilt in 1826 by K.Rossi out of the Grotto) and the Tea house (1827, architect L.I.Sharleman; since 1984 - show-room) have remained. In 1773-86 a fence from the side of the Neva was placed (architects M.Yu.Felten, P.Ye.Yegorov, T.I.Nasonov). In 1839 on the bank of the Karpievsky pond an ornamental vase of porphyry (a present of Swedish king Karl XIV to emperor Nicholas I) was placed under the direction of B.I. Demut-Malinovsky. In 1855 the monument to I.A.Krylov was opened in the Summer Garden… More.